James William Tankard

James William Tankard, Jr., Ph.D. James William Tankard, Jr., (64) professor emeritus in journalism at the University of Texas at Austin, died Friday, August 12, 2005, in Austin. He was born June 20, 1941, in Newport News, Virginia, the eldest of three sons of Dr. James William Tankard and Eileen Looney Tankard. Tankard earned undergraduate degrees from Virginia Polytechnic Institute (Blacksburg) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. His 1970 Ph.D. from Stanford University was a dissertation on eye contact as a communication channel. Tankard spent the bulk of his academic career at the University of Texas at Austin, where he was Jesse H. Jones professor in journalism. When he retired in 2004 after thirty-two years, the Texas State Senate recognized Prof. Tankard with a proclamation “for his outstanding contributions to The University of Texas and the education system of this state.” Tankard was author of The Statistical Pioneers and coauthor of Communication Theories: Origins, Methods, Uses (now in its fifth edition and fourth language translation), Basic News Reporting, Writing for Print and Digital Media, How To Build Social Science Theories, and Mass Media in the Information Age. He was editor of Journalism Monographs from 1988-1994. Prof. Tankard thought of teaching as a creative challenge and had a gift for making the complex simple. He loved working with ideas, seeing students get excited about ideas, and helping shape those ideas. He taught seventeen different courses at UT, and chaired the committee that created the professional journalism master’s program. His creativity was not limited to academic pursuits. Tankard also developed personal websites such as “Texas Roadside Icons” and “The Trinity Site” and valued his association with a Memoir Group and the Austin Songwriters Group. His legacy to his family includes a joy in curiosity and passion for exploration. He loved traveling with them to explore unusual spots around the world, and continued to travel despite the cancer that forced his retirement. A nonsmoker, he lived with Stage 4 lung cancer for almost five years. He is survived by his wife of thirty-two years, Sara Elaine Fuller Tankard (Lanie), and a trilogy of daughters who were the light of his life: Amy Elizabeth Tankard Hill of Beaverton, Oregon, and her husband, Brian Hill; Jessica Hope Tankard of Charlottesville, Virginia; and Margaret Elaine Tankard of Austin, Texas; as well as two brothers: Robert Preston Tankard and Frederick Wright Tankard, both of Newport News, Virginia. Tankard’s family dates back to William Tankard, one of the original 1607 Jamestown colonists. The family would like to express deep gratitude to Dr. John Doty, Southwest Regional Cancer Center, and Hospice Austin for their magnificent care of this precious person. If desired, memorial contributions may be made to the American Cancer Society or Hospice Austin. Visitation will be at Weed-Corley-Fish on Monday August 15 from 4-6 p.m. Private family burial will be at Austin Memorial Park (2800 Hancock Drive) at 10 a.m. Tuesday August 16. A memorial service will be held at Westminster Presbyterian Church, 3208 Exposition Blvd., on Tuesday August 16 at 4 p.m. with a reception following in Fellowship Hall. Obituary and guestbook available online at wcfish.com